JP2009033225A - Digital broadcasting receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital broadcasting receiver capable of shortening time from viewing decision to program display when selecting a channel using an electronic program guide. <P>SOLUTION: A control section 12 allows a tuner not used for reproduction in tuners 2a, 2b to select a channel to which a cursor moves in the electronic program guide as a different channel, and to display the program of the different channel by changing the selection by a selector 6 when an instruction for viewing decision is inputted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiving apparatus having a function of displaying an electronic program guide (EPG).

  In the digital broadcast receiving device that receives the digital broadcast, the channel selection time is longer than the analog broadcast reception device that receives the analog broadcast, and the display screen is generally blacked out during the channel selection time, It makes the user feel stressed. For this reason, there is a great demand for shortening the channel selection time.

As a technique for shortening the channel selection time in the digital broadcast receiving apparatus, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, a first tuner used for normal channel selection and a second tuner that constantly selects a digital broadcast signal are provided, and still images of channels that can be selected by the second tuner are acquired and accumulated in advance. In addition, at the time of high-speed sequential tuning, this accumulated still image is displayed in association with the channel number for OSD (On Screen Display) display, thereby realizing high-speed tuning with an image in a pseudo manner. is doing.
JP 2002-320153 A

  In digital broadcasting, an electronic program guide is prepared so that a user can easily select a desired program from among a large number of programs. The user can use the electronic program guide as auxiliary means necessary for channel selection such as channel selection or viewing reservation of a desired program.

  Patent Document 1 describes that high-speed channel selection is performed at the time of sequential channel selection using a channel up key or a channel down key, but the channel selection time is shortened when channel selection is performed from an electronic program guide. Is not mentioned.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and a digital broadcast receiving apparatus capable of shortening the time from execution of viewing determination to display of a program when performing tuning using an electronic program guide The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the digital broadcast receiving apparatus of the present invention selects a first channel from a plurality of channels included in a broadcast radio wave, and a first video signal included in the selected channel. The first channel selection means for reproducing and outputting the second channel, the second channel selected from the plurality of channels, and the second video signal included in the selected channel is reproduced and output. Channel selection means, selection means for selecting and outputting one of the input first or second video signals, and program names of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast in the first predetermined period. An electronic program for displaying program names of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast in a second predetermined period of the first predetermined period by using program information acquisition means for acquiring program information including at least externally from the program information Electronic program that generates a front screen The electronic program guide screen is generated by combining the electronic program guide screen with the first video signal or the second video signal output from the screen generating means and the selecting means, and the generated composite An electronic program guide display means for displaying an electronic program guide screen, and the electronic program guide display means displays the composite electronic program guide screen during the second predetermined period displayed on the composite electronic program guide screen. When an instruction to select one of the program names of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast is input from the outside, the channel corresponding to the program with the program name selected by this instruction is selected as the back channel. The other channel selection means which is the first or second channel selection means for outputting the first or second video signal which is not selected by the selection means is controlled, and then the back channel is selected. When the instruction to determine the viewing of the program is input from the outside, the selection unit is configured to select another video signal that is the first or second video signal output from the other channel selection unit. And a first channel selection control means for controlling.

  Further, the digital broadcast receiving apparatus of the present invention is configured to set viewing reservation information including a broadcast date, a broadcast start time, a program name, and a channel of a scheduled broadcast program, and the viewing reservation information by the viewing reservation setting unit. Is set, the other channel selection means is controlled so that the channel corresponding to the latest viewing reservation program whose broadcasting start time in the viewing reservation information is the latest viewing reservation program is selected as the back channel. After that, it is further characterized by further comprising second channel selection control means for controlling the selection means so as to select the other video signal when the broadcast start time of the most recently viewed reserved program is reached.

  According to the digital broadcast receiving apparatus of the present invention, when selecting a channel using an electronic program guide, it is possible to shorten the time from the execution of viewing determination until the program is displayed.

  The best mode for carrying out the digital broadcast receiving apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes tuners 2a and 2b, demultiplexers (DEMAX) 3a and 3b, decoders 4a and 4b, video processing units 5a and 5b, A selector 6, an EPG display unit 7, a video composition unit 8, a video output unit 9, a display unit 10, a light receiving unit 11, a control unit 12, and a memory 13 are provided and connected to an antenna 14. .

  The tuners 2a and 2b each select a desired channel from the digital broadcast radio wave via the antenna 14, perform demodulation processing, error correction processing, and the like on the signal of the selected channel, and perform digital data in the transport stream format. Output a signal.

  The demultiplexers 3a and 3b extract the compressed video data from the transport stream output from the tuners 2a and 2b, and output this to the decoders 4a and 4b. Further, the demultiplexers 3 a and 3 b obtain electronic program guide data (program information) from SI (Service Information) data included in each channel of the digital broadcast radio wave, and output this to the control unit 12. The electronic program guide data includes program data of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast during the first predetermined period. This program data includes the program name, broadcast date, broadcast start / end time, channel, Information such as program contents is included. The electronic program guide data may be acquired from an Internet site via the Internet.

  The decoders 4a and 4b expand the compressed video data from the demultiplexers 3a and 3b, and output the expanded video data to the video processing units 5a and 5b.

  The video processing units 5a and 5b convert the video data from the decoders 4a and 4b into video signals that can be displayed on the display unit 10 and output the video signals.

  The selector 6 selects one of the video signals from the video processing units 5 a and 5 b and outputs it to the video synthesis unit 8.

  The EPG display unit 7 uses the electronic program guide data to generate an electronic program guide screen for displaying information such as program names of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast in the second predetermined period within the first predetermined period. This is output to the video composition unit 8.

  When the electronic program guide screen generated by the EPG display unit 7 based on an instruction from the control unit 12 is input, the video composition unit 8 synthesizes the electronic program guide screen with the video signal from the selector 6 and combines the electronic program guide screen. A front screen is generated and output to the video output unit 9. When the electronic program guide screen is not input, the video composition unit 8 outputs the video signal from the selector 6 to the video output unit 9 as it is.

  The video output unit 9 performs a process of outputting the synthesized electronic program guide screen or video signal from the video synthesis unit 8 to the display unit 10.

  The display unit 10 includes a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, and the like, and converts the synthesized electronic program guide screen or video signal input from the video output unit 9 into a video and displays it.

  The light receiving unit 11 receives, for example, infrared rays output from a remote controller (not shown), appropriately converts a transmission signal included in the infrared rays into an operation signal, and outputs the operation signal to the control unit 12.

  The control unit 12 comprehensively controls each unit provided in the digital broadcast receiving device 1. The memory 13 stores electronic program guide data, viewing reservation information generated by the control unit 12, and the like.

  Next, the operation of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 will be described.

  It is assumed that the program of the channel selected by the tuner 2a is being played during normal playback. In this case, the tuner 2a performs demodulation processing, error correction processing, and the like on the signal of the desired channel selected via the antenna 14 and outputs a digital signal in the transport stream format.

The demultiplexer 3a extracts the compressed video data from the transport stream from the tuner 2a, and the decoder 4a decompresses the compressed video data from the demultiplexer 3a. The video processing unit 5a converts the video data from the decoder 4a into a video signal that can be displayed on the display unit 10 and outputs the video signal. The video signal output from the video processing unit 5a is output to the display unit 10 via the selector 6, the video synthesis unit 8, and the video output unit 9, and displayed.
Further, the demultiplexer 3 a acquires electronic program guide data from SI data included in the signal of the selected channel, and outputs this to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 stores the acquired electronic program guide data in the memory 13.

  Here, when an instruction to display the electronic program guide based on the user's remote control operation is input via the light receiving unit 11, the control unit 12 supplies the electronic program guide data stored in the memory 13 to the EPG display unit 7. Then, an electronic program guide screen is generated. The generated electronic program guide screen is synthesized with the video signal from the selector 6 by the video synthesizing unit 8 to become a synthesized electronic program guide screen, which is displayed on the display unit 10 via the video output unit 9.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electronic program guide displayed on the composite electronic program guide screen. In the electronic program guide 20 shown in FIG. 2, the program display fields 21A, 21B, 21C,... Include programs A1, A2, A3,. B3,..., Program names of programs C1, C2, C3,. When the cursor (not shown) is moved to the display position of each program in the program display fields 21A, 21B, 21C,... By the user's remote control operation, information such as the contents of the program to which the cursor is moved is displayed. It has come to be.

  In the electronic program guide 20 shown in FIG. 2, programs A1, B1, C1,... Are currently being broadcast. For example, assume that the channel 2 is selected by the tuner 2a and the electronic program guide 20 is displayed while the program A1 is being reproduced. At this time, when the user moves the cursor in the electronic program guide 20 to a program display column other than the channel A by remote control operation in order to confirm the contents of the program other than the program A1, the control unit 12 moves the cursor to the destination. A control signal is transmitted to the tuner 2b so as to select a channel.

  For example, when the cursor is moved to the display position of the program B1 in the program display field 21B, the control unit 12 causes the tuner 2b to select the channel B. The tuner 2b that has selected the channel B outputs the transport stream to the demultiplexer 3b. The demultiplexer 3b extracts the compressed video data from the transport stream from the tuner 2b, and the decoder 4b decompresses the compressed video data. Then, the video processing unit 5b converts the video data from the decoder 4b into a video signal that can be displayed on the display unit 10.

  In this case, the tuning of the tuner 2b is not recognized by the user, but is selected as the back channel, and the display on the display unit 10 remains the electronic program guide 20. However, in general, the image of the program of the tuner 2b to be selected as the back channel is displayed together with the movement of the cursor on the sub-screen 22 of the electronic program guide 20 on which the image of the program being reproduced is displayed. May be.

  Then, when an instruction to determine viewing of the program B1 is input via the light receiving unit 11 by the user's remote control operation, the control unit 12 switches the selection from the video processing unit 5a to the video processing unit 5b, and the video processing unit 5b. A control signal is transmitted to the selector 6 so as to select and output the video signal generated in the above. Thereby, the program B1 is displayed on the display unit 10.

  In the above description, the case where the tuner 2b selects the back channel while the channel selected by the tuner 2a is displayed has been described. However, the tuner 2a and the tuner 2b can sequentially switch roles. While the channel selected by the tuner 2b is being displayed, the tuner 2a selects the back channel.

  Next, viewing reservation using the electronic program guide will be described. In a state where the electronic program guide is displayed, when a cursor in the electronic program guide is moved to a display position of a desired program by a user's remote control operation and an instruction to make a viewing reservation is input via the light receiving unit 11, The control unit 12 acquires information on the broadcast date, broadcast start time, program name, and channel of the program from the electronic program guide data, and adds these information to the viewing reservation information.

  The viewing reservation information includes information on the broadcast date, broadcast start time, program name, and channel of each program for which viewing reservation is set by a user's remote control operation, and is generated by the control unit 12 and stored in the memory 13. Note that programs for which reserved viewing has been executed are deleted from the recording reservation information.

  Next, the procedure for displaying the viewing reservation program will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  It is assumed that a program of a channel selected by the tuner 2a is displayed on the display unit 10 in a steady state where normal reproduction is performed. In this steady state, in step S <b> 10, the control unit 12 determines whether viewing reservation information is stored in the memory 13. When viewing reservation information is stored (step S10: YES), the process proceeds to step S20. When viewing reservation information is not stored (step S10: NO), the process proceeds to step S50, and the display of the program being displayed is continued. Then, it returns to step S10 and repeats the subsequent processes.

  In step S20, the control unit 12 transmits a control signal to the tuner 2b so as to select the channel of the latest viewing reservation program that is the viewing reservation program with the latest broadcast start time in the viewing reservation information as the back channel.

  Next, in step S30, the control unit 12 determines whether or not it is the broadcast start time of the latest viewing reservation program. When the broadcast start time is reached (step S30: YES), the process proceeds to step S40. When the broadcast start time is not reached (step S30: NO), the process of step S30 is repeated.

  In step S40, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the channel selected by the tuner 2a and displayed on the display unit 10 is the same as the channel of the latest viewing reserved program. If they are the same (step S40: YES), the process proceeds to step S50, and the display of the program being displayed is continued. Then, it returns to step S10 and repeats the subsequent processes.

  If they are not the same (step S40: NO), in step S60, the control unit 12 switches the selection from the video processing unit 5a to the video processing unit 5b, and selects and outputs the video signal generated by the video processing unit 5b. Then, the selector 6 is controlled. Thereby, in step S50, the latest viewing reservation program is displayed on the display unit 10.

  Note that the channel selection and viewing determination using the electronic program guide is performed after the channel of the latest viewing reserved program is selected by the tuner 2b in the above step S20 until the broadcast start time of the latest viewing reserved program is reached. In such a case, the role is changed so that the channel for which the viewing is newly decided is selected by the tuner 2b and the channel of the latest viewing reservation program is selected by the tuner 2a. In addition, when the channel selection and viewing determination are performed a plurality of times, the roles of the tuner 2a and the tuner 2b may be switched each time.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, two tuners 2a and 2b are provided, and a channel to which the cursor is moved in the electronic program guide is selected as a back channel by a tuner not used for reproduction, When an instruction to determine viewing is input, the program of the back channel is displayed by switching the selection by the selector 6. Thereby, compared with the conventional method of starting channel selection after viewing decision is made, the time from execution of viewing decision to display of the program can be shortened.

  When viewing reservation is set, the channel of the reserved viewing program is selected as the back channel, so that the selector 6 switches the selection when the viewing start time of the reserved viewing program comes. Since the viewing reservation program can be displayed only by this, it is possible to shorten the time from when the viewing reservation program starts broadcasting until it is displayed.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the digital broadcast receiver which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of an electronic program guide. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which displays a viewing reservation program in the digital broadcast receiver shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Digital Broadcasting Receiver 2a, 2b Tuner 3a, 3b Demultiplexer (DEMAX)
4a, 4b Decoder 5a, 5b Video processing unit 6 Selector 7 EPG display unit 8 Video composition unit 9 Video output unit 10 Display unit 11 Light receiving unit 12 Control unit 13 Memory 14 Antenna

Claims (2)

First channel selection means for selecting a first channel from a plurality of channels included in a broadcast radio wave, reproducing and outputting a first video signal included in the selected channel;
Second channel selection means for selecting a second channel from the plurality of channels and reproducing and outputting a second video signal included in the selected channel;
Selecting means for selecting and outputting either one of the first or second video signals to be input;
Program information acquisition means for acquiring program information including at least program names of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast in the first predetermined period;
An electronic program guide screen generating means for generating an electronic program guide screen for displaying program names of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast in a second predetermined period within the first predetermined period, using the program information;
The electronic program guide screen is combined with the first video signal or the second video signal output from the selection means to generate a composite electronic program guide screen, and the generated composite electronic program guide screen is Electronic program guide display means for displaying;
While the electronic program guide display means is displaying the composite electronic program guide screen, one of program names of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast in the second predetermined period displayed on the composite electronic program guide screen When an instruction to select a program name is input from the outside, the first one not selected by the selection means is selected so that the channel corresponding to the program with the program name selected by this instruction is selected as the back channel. Controlling other channel selection means which is the first or second channel selection means for outputting the first or second video signal;
Thereafter, when an instruction to determine viewing of the program of the back channel is input from the outside, the other video signal which is the first or second video signal output from the other channel selection means is selected. And a first channel selection control means for controlling the selection means. Viewing reservation setting means for setting viewing reservation information including the broadcast date, broadcast start time, program name, and channel of the program scheduled to be broadcast;
When the viewing reservation information is set by the viewing reservation setting means, the channel corresponding to the latest viewing reservation program that is the viewing reservation program with the latest broadcast start time in the viewing reservation information is selected as the back channel. , Controlling the other channel selection means,
And a second channel selection control unit configured to control the selection unit so that the other video signal is selected when the broadcast start time of the most recently reserved program is reached. The digital broadcast receiver according to 1.

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